Portland Maine Bans Pesticides

 

Portland, Maine has banned the use of pesticides, herbicides and weed killers like Round Up, made by Monsanto.  It joins other communities who have either banned the use of glyphosate and other lawn chemicals or severely restricted it.

With mounting evidence of its cancer-causing effects – something that we in the environmental movement have suspected for a long time – many municipalities are taking notice. California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York and Oregon have already instituted restrictions or outlawed use altogether.

The high-profile cancer lawsuit against Monsanto – now owned by Bayer – has attracted much attention, and for good reason.  11,200 lawsuits have been filed against Monsanto but the most recent unanimous ruling in the Edwin Hardeman case will go into its second phase.   Judge Vince Chhabria presided over the case in which jurors found Monsanto’s Round-Up to be the contributing factor in Mr. Hardeman’s non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Prior to the trial, the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) conducted various studies to find the risk of exposure.  Environmental toxicologists determined that exposure to glyphosate contributes to an increased chance of developing NHL (non-Hodgkins-Lymphoma)

The trial of Dewayne Johnson, a former school groundskeeper suffering from terminal cancer, received a unanimous ruling back in August, declaring that Round-Up was a contributing factor in his Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Needless to say, the recent court decisions, along with the recent bans on pesticides and herbicides – have brought this fight to the forefront.  Hopefully, more people will realize that the use of these chemicals is not safe – something that millions of us have realized for many years.

PLEASE!  Put down that container of Round-Up.

For more, Read Here:

Pesticides Affect Babies & Children

Pesticide Use Linked to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS

If You Use Pesticides, READ THIS!

 

 

 

 

The EPA Will No Longer Protect Us

With the recent appointments of the Trump administration to the EPA, the word “protection” in the title, Environmental Protection Agency, no longer applies.

This administration’s vow to roll back government oversight, which was championed by Trump during the campaign, has taken a potentially deadly turn in the installation of Scott Pruitt as EPA head.  Pruitt has been an advocate for the oil, gas and coal industry, has denied the impacts of climate change, and after his appointment, signaled that he will not renew the Obama administration’s Clean Water Act.  He has also gone against the agency’s findings in mothballing a ban on the use of chlorpyrifos, an insecticide widely used on vegetables and fruits, which has been shown to poison groundwater and directly impact human health, especially that of farmworkers.  This is just the tip of the iceberg in the dismantling of the EPA.

Shortly after his inauguration, Trump welcomed coal miners to the White House in an effort to make good on his promise to revive the dying coal industry. This went hand in hand with the rolling back of the Clean Water Act which will allow mines to resume dumping toxic chemicals into waterways.

To further add insult to injury, Nancy B. Beck, joined the EPA in May.  She is a former member of the American Chemistry Council, the chemical industry’s main trade association.  She is an advocate of lessening oversight on potentially harmful chemicals.

Just announced is the EPA’s decision not to let 2 of its scientists speak at a conference, 3 years in the making, of the state of the Narragansett Bay Watershed Program and the relation to climate change.  This follows the scrubbing of the EPA website by Trump’s political appointees which addresses human causes in climate change.

This is just the latest in the Trump administration’s assault on the banishment of scientific evidence regarding climate change, environmental impacts of chemicals, pesticides and potentially harmful substances which endanger humans and the ecosystem.

It is horrifically clear to those of us concerned with our planet’s health and that of its people,  this is not a priority of this administration.

Government oversight has protected us from a myriad of potential harm from insidious corporate actions executed in the name of cost-cutting and greed.  Citizens who applauded a rollback of regulations in favor of less government may learn that they are the ones being hurt most.

Therefore, we need that protection in the “P” of the EPA, as well as other agencies under the axe of the Trump administration.

 

 

Monsanto’s Roundup-Ready XTend: Dicamba & Roundup. The Poison Treadmill Continues

Use of Roundup has increased because of resistance to super weeds.

To battle the super weed crisis that American farmers have experienced with Roundup’s failure, the FDA approved  GMO (genetically modified) dicamba-resistant soybean & cotton crops.  This follows on the heels of the EPA green light for the “new &  improved” Roundup, Monsanto’s Xtend, a marriage between Roundup and Dicamba.

Dicamba’s been used since the 60’s. There’s one problem.  It’s highly volatile and prone to drift – even up to 72 hours after application –  to fields where it hasn’t been sprayed.

Soybean plant with Xtend damage. Photo: Andrea Morales for Washington Post

Farmers were told not to spray it directly on crops; only on the soil before planting, for post-emergent weed control. Dicamba has a tendency to drift when airborne,  so instructions were to maintain a sprayer height of 24 inches, adjust nozzles for a larger spray (heavier drops) and avoid use when weather conditions made drift more likely. Because of temperature inversions, night-time spraying was not advised. However, some farmers didn’t heed this advice & sprayed it directly on the GMO crops. In violation of federal pesticide laws, some used an older version of dicamba which is more prone to drift.

 A lawsuit was filed on July 19, 2017, against Monsanto, BASF and DuPont by 7 farmers in Arkansas citing crop damage. Approximately of 22% soybean crops were impacted by dicamba drift.  Over 3 million acres have been involved in 16 states, affecting not only farms but residential areas, as well as organic farms.

Missouri and Arkansas have banned the use of Xtend. Damage has been found in Mississippi, Illinois, Tennesee, and other areas of the South.

Monsanto, in its usual nefarious rush toward approval because of greed, didn’t test Xtend for commercial applications to avoid delay in the process.  BSAF limited their testing of their version, Engenia, further allowing scientists to “selectively choose” data for regulators.  “Monsanto, in particular, did very little volatility field work,” said Jason Norsworthy, an agronomy professor at the University of Arkansas.

More disconcerting is that research indicates this new pairing of herbicides may not work for very long. Scientists have found that in just 3 seasons Xtend is no longer effective against superweeds like pigweed.

So guess what?  More applications of Roundup and Dicamba will be needed. Or Monsanto, BASF, DuPont, Bayer or Syngenta will have to come up with another chemical concoction.

The poison treadmill continues.

Pesticides Affect Babies & Children

 

Babies & children absorb pesticides at a rate 10X that of adults.

In utero, as infants, babies & children absorb pesticides ten times that of adults.

Keep this in mind when your phobia of bugs prompts you to use pesticides in your yard & home.

Remember also that during pregnancy, pesticide and lawn chemical use will affect your unborn child.

Following are some links to articles I’ve written on pesticides and children:

Dangers of Pesticides:  Sevin Dust, Roundup & Other Garden Chemicals

Sevin Dust Illegal in Many Countries – Top Seller in  The U.S.:     Pregnant women should avoid exposure to Sevin dust because it can cause fetal abnormalities: cardio and pulmonary, nervous system development, spontaneous abortion, ADD in their child and a host of other difficulties. Additionally, women whose pregnancies fall between the months of highest Sevin applications – May and September – have the highest instances of fetal distress in development.

Your questions answered on Sevin Dust. It’s not the harmless chemical you think it is.

Are your kids helping in the garden? You may be exposing them to high levels of pesticides.

 

Sevin Dust, Bug B Gon, 2,4-D : ALL Lawn & Garden Chemicals WILL MAKE YOUR PETS SICK!

All lawn and garden chemicals will make your cat or dog sick.

Let me get right to the point:  ALL LAWN & GARDEN CHEMICALS WILL MAKE YOUR PETS SICK.  There are no exceptions to this rule!

Just as you can be sickened by Sevin Dust, Spectracide, Bug B Gon, Scott’s Weed & Feed, 2,4-D, Triazicide, Bayer All-In-One products or any other lawn care chemical, so can your pet.

Pesticides and herbicides are toxic chemicals.  They are poison. Get that?

Every time you use products like Sevin Dust, Bug B Gon, 2,4-D or others, you run the risk of poisoning your cat or dog. (or yourself and your kids, too.)

Pesticides are neurotoxins,  meaning they act on the brain.  They’ve also been found to increase chances of cancer in animals, respiratory disease, muscle weakness and a host of other serious complications.

Pesticides and lawn care chemicals do not dissipate.  When your pet walks on the lawn you just treated with Bug B Gon,  Spectracide, Scott’s Weed & Feed or 2,4-D, it will pick up residue on its feet and coat.  It tracks it into your home. Then, in grooming itself, it ingests the chemical.

In a study conducted by Purdue University found that even after lawn chemicals had dried, reside was still found on dogs tested.

In 2,4-D exposure, dogs were found to have very high instances of malignant lymphoma.  Despite numerous epidemiological studies linking it to cancer in dogs and people, The EPA refuses to classify it as a carcinogen.

These are not harmless chemicals. They cause significant neurological and endocrine damage in humans and pets.

Please educate yourself. Your health, the health of your family and that of your pet depends on it.

READ MORE:

If You Use Pesticides, READ THIS!  <— A “Pesticides 101” primer.

Sevin Dust Is Not Your Garden Friend

 

Pesticide Use Linked To Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s & ALS

Pesticide use has been linked to increased rates of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS.

Pesticides are neurotoxins (neu·ro·tox·in: a poison that acts on the nervous system) which overstimulate brain cells, causing miscommunication between them and eventually, cell death. This is how pesticides kill insects: the creature’s brain and nervous system becomes so scrambled it shuts down and the insect dies.

Definitive links exist between pesticide use and the rise of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease as well as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis – ALS – or known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Pesticides are classified as those used to control insects, weeds and fungi and are known as insecticides, herbicides or fumigants.

Organophosphates are commonly used on food, in household pesticide and insecticides as well as lawn and garden chemicals. Organophosphates  have been shown to contribute to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s and ALS.

You might know some of these pesticides by their brand names:  Sevin Dust, Malathion (used in mosquito control)  Round-Up (glyphosate) and Diazinon.

Elevated serum levels of pesticides in humans, along with a rise in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, point to a link in neurological damage in those consistently exposed.

Though most Alzheimer’s research has focused on genetic factors, scientists have found that only half the cases are linked to heredity.  The other half increasingly points to use of pesticides in past decades.  DDT, banned over 40 years ago, remains in the body and has been found in about 75-80% of the population.  In Alzheimer’s patients the levels of DDE, (DDT when broken down) were 4.18 times higher.

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurological disorder.  Nerve cells in the brain regulating dopamine – which controls movement – are damaged to the point where they cannot produce the chemical.  Less than 1% of Parkinson’s cases can be attributed to genetics and researchers are finding a solid link to exposure to pesticides.  Scientists in the UK in studies ranging from 1983-2005, found a substantial link to pesticide and herbicide exposure in Parkinson’s patients.

• Research conducted in the U.S. found that those consistently exposed to low levels of pesticides and herbicides were twice likely to develop Parkinson’s.
• A Harvard study found that long-term pesticide exposure, even at low levels, shows a 70% increase in the disease over those who had limited contact.
• Gardeners who routinely use pesticides such as Sevin Dust,  are 50% more likely to develop Parkinson’s than those who grow organic gardens.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, affecting motor control and is always fatal.  Over time patients lose motor control and in later stages, may become totally paralyzed.

Pesticides cause oxidative stress which in turn can lead to an array of health issues:  Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, ALS, cancer, chronic fatigue, heart and blood vessel disorders, atherosclerosis, heart failure, heart attack and inflammatory diseases.

With mounting evidence against pesticides, isn’t it time you think twice before using them?

There are no “safe” pesticides.

Read More:

Food Truth Freedom:  If You Use Pesticides, READ THIS!

Beyond Pesticides:  Pesticide Induced Diseases.

PubMed.gov: Pesticide Exposure, Parkinson’s &  Neurodegenerative Diseases

Roundup Is More Toxic Than You Think

You’ve got weeds.  You hate them because they wreck your picture-perfect lawn.  What do you do? You run to Home Depot or Lowe’s and pick up a container of Roundup.  Easy! Round Up will take care of your weeds.  You probably don’t give a second thought to it!

You should!

Roundup (glyphosate) is one of the top-selling lawn and agricultural chemicals in the world.  The United States uses 25% of  Round Up.

You’re probably eating a lot of Roundup, too.  The typical American diet consists of processed foods. 80% of the corn, soy and sugar beets, which are commonplace in a Western diet, are genetically modified. The plants themselves are made resistant to the effects of Roundup. It is a systemic herbicide meaning the plant absorbs it into all its cells. Because the plant has genetically modified organisms, (GMO) – repeated applications of Roundup will not kill it as it will non-GMO plants.

Contrary to what Monsanto will tell you, Round-Up is known to kill embryos, (miscarriages) placental and umbilical cord cells and cause low birth weight.  It is an endocrine (hormone) disruptor.  (read CANCER here!) It is shown to increase instances of cancer like non-Hodgkin lymphoma, breast and myeloma – bone cancer.

The inert chemicals in it – which are NOT harmless, by the way – intensify its toxicity. One specific inert ingredient, polyethoxylated tallowamine, or POEA, was found to be more deadly to embryonic cells than the glyphosate alone!  This inert chemical is intended to let the Round-Up penetrate the plant’s exterior cells.

Roundup is designed to disrupt cells in a plant. It also does this in the human body.  Many studies have confirmed that Roundup causes disruption in benefits of beneficial gut bacteria and destroys the “good” gut bacteria which has been found to  correlate to the immune system and digestive system functioning.  Autoimmune disease, heart disease, autism, Alzheimer’s and leaky gut syndrome are other maladies caused by cell disruption.  The depletion of critical nutrients, which in turn protect us from an array of diseases like cancer and heart disease, is another indication of the effects of Roundup.

A study in Argentina in an area of  prolonged Round-up usage has found a high incidence of birth defects and cancers.  This is also the disturbing trend here in the United States in the Midwest where a lot of the (GMO) crops like corn and soy corn are grown.

Additionally, there has been a strong link to amphibian mutations as a result of contaminated groundwater.  Runoff from yards and fields where Roundup has been sprayed has led to a rise in birth defects in frogs.  There is a large amount of evidence that Roundup is also responsible for decline in the North American tadpole species.  It is also suspected that Roundup is responsible for decimating the Monarch butterfly population.

Monsanto has continuously derided all claims of its toxicity, despite numerous studies to the contrary.

For an in-depth look into the dangers of Roundup and GMO crops, watch this video by Jeffrey Smith.  It’s long but worth the watch!

 

RELATED

Monsanto Roundup: Impacts of Glyphosate Herbicide On Human Health – Pathways To Modern Diseases (by Anthony Samsell and Stephanie Sennef)

Monsanto Punishes Naysayers

http://www.ncparc.org/pubs/Herbicide%20Choices%20&%20Amphibian%20Conservation.pdf

Monsanto: Evil Personified

We all have been touched by Monsanto. You may be denying it saying that you don’t use Monsanto products around your home and yard   

 If anyone known to you served on the ground in Viet Nam, they were probably exposed to Agent Orange, a Monsanto creation.

You have eaten food exposed to Monsanto chemical, Round-Up

Your groundwater has been contaminated by 2-4-D and glyphosate from Monsanto.

Chances are you may have lived somewhere that Monsanto’s PCBs have totally decimated waterways and soil.

Monsanto also invented DDT, a commonly used chemical till its ban in the 70’s.

That “illness” that a family member has; that “condition”  (read birth defect) that your child was just diagnosed with – could be a side effect of a Monsanto chemical – a hormone disruptor.

IF you use Round up around your yard – you are predisposing yourself and your children, as well as your neighbors, to health complications courtesy of Monsanto.

Read more on the history of Monsanto

Now Monsanto wants to cover up the truth of GMO crops thus muting further the effects that they have on our health and that of future generations.

They also have their hooks deep into the minds of those in Washington who would dare to make policy decisions against Monsanto!

The time is NOW to fight back against this evil empire Monsanto. They’ve poisoned this world, subjected countless citizens – by direct (Agent Orange in Vietnam) or insidious contamination of foods and the environment.

 

Neonicotinoid: Spreading Death to Bees – Bayer Products

Bayer Advanced Flower, Rose and Shrub care contains imidacloprid, a new class of neonicotinoid which causes nervous system damage resulting in paralysis and death to bees and other beneficial insects. It is helping to decimate the bee population.

It also has tebuconazole which is a potent fungicide,  possible carcinogen, suspected endocrine disruptor and a water contaminant.

What IS a neonicotoid?  It is a systemic pesticide meaning that it gets into the plant itself.  It is a derivative of nicotine.  It is used in liquid or granular form.  After the plant absorbs it, the neonicotoid expresses itself in the plant’s pollen. This is bee food.  Bees and other insects systems are highly susceptible to the nerve damage caused by these pesticides.  Their bodies are unable to detoxify from the effects of these chemicals.

Neonicotinoids are a rapidly growing sector of the pesticide market globally, used on more than 140 crop varieties. They are applied in a wide variety of settings against pests in soil, seed, turf, timber as well as foliar treatments for cereals, cotton, legumes, potatoes, orchard fruits, rice, turf and vegetables. They are also common in veterinary applications such as tick control and flea collars for pets. Note that these products are also used on FOOD!

In the past few years this pesticide has become suspect in massive bee die offs.

If you use this product or any class of neonicotinoid, you are also contributing to groundwater pollution as it is persistent in the soil after use.  In other words, it just doesn’t go away.

Massive bee deaths are indicated for this class of pesticide.

Lowe’s and Home Depot sell tons of this toxic Bayer product every season. Currently there are a few petitions circulating – even to the EPA – that would ban the sale of this class of neonicotinoid.  But business being what it is – and the chemical lobby being so strong – plus the fact that this is such a money-maker for Lowe’s and Home Depot – I don’t think they will voluntarily pull these products from their shelves.  Only an outright ban on its manufacture and sale would do.

RELATED:

What Are Pesticides?

Pesticides Myths:  what YOU should know!

Bee Charmers.org:  read about bees and what you can do to help them!

Use Self Rising Flour Instead of SEVIN DUST

 

Sevin dust IS POISON; self rising flour isn’t!

Unlike Sevin dust, it’s available in every grocery store.  It’s organic and best of all, it’s NOT poison! It won’t kill beneficial insects like bees. You can eat the residue without fear of any kind of health issues. It’s completely natural.

You can’t spread Sevin dust with your bare hands.  Self rising flour is completely harmless;  doesn’t matter if you get it on your skin.  You won’t be absorbing a poison pesticide through your hands or breathing its dust.

If your pets get into the garden, they’ll just get some flour on their coats or paws.  It won’t hurt them as Sevin will.

You can let your kids help in the garden, too, free of the fear that they’re near a dangerous pesticide like Sevin dust.  They can even help spread it!

Why does it work?  When a bug chomps down of a leaf and the self rising flour gets into their system, it expands.  BOOM!  Instant compost!  Sure if they munch your plants a bit, they won’t last long. Tomato horn worms weren’t a problem in my garden because of self rising flour.

WHY GROW A GARDEN AND PUT POISON ON IT?  Save yourself the time, the sweaty, grimy work out in the heat, the hours of back-breaking labor and just go to the grocery store and buy their pesticide-laden vegetables!